Candles
by RandomKiwi
Summary: "Kurt Hummel: We at NYADA regret to inform you-" He didn't bother to read any further. Taking place after episode 3x22. Follows Kurt and Blaine's relationship through the summer and next school year. Fluff, angst, all that good stuff.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here it is, a fanfic after a prolonged absence. Recently, I've been preparing for high school and going through extensive studying for finals, etc. Things are picking up, so I won't be as productive as in months past. Summer is approaching, so I'll definitely have some new ones for you guys then. **

**This is a fic I wrote after watching the 'Glee' season finale. I was outraged at how little Blaine and Kurt's relationship was utilized within that last episode, so I decided to write, in my mind, what the two would do afterwards. THIS IS NOT A ONE-SHOT. I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A ONE-SHOT. I'm hoping to make this one of my longer works. It will follow the couple throughout the summer and (hopefully) into the next school year when Blaine is still at McKinley and Kurt is... elsewhere. So, without further ado, here is 'Candles'. Yes, I have been listening to the 'Glee' cover of it, which is why I saw the title fitting. As always, I urge you to please comment. Unlike other fics, I will be taking requests for possible 'adventures', or prompts, if you will. So, if you'd really like to see something in this, don't hesitate to leave it in the comments or PM me! Thank you! I hope you enjoy!**

**~ RandomKiwi**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN 'GLEE' OR ANY NAMES, PLOTS, OR CHARACTERS PERTAINING TO THE SHOW.**

The senior opened the envelope, unfolding the paper creased into thirds neatly inside.

_Kurt Hummel:_

_We at NYADA regret to inform you-" _

He didn't bother to read any further. Who was he kidding? He _couldn't_ read any further. Kurt felt as though he'd been smacked in the face. Hot tears stung his eyes, threatening to fall to the ground in large, watery drips. He folded the paper up and slowly placed it back in the envelope before walking out of the room. His eyes, not visible by the two others watching him leave, were leaky faucets from which all hopes and dreams slipped away, sliding down his face until smacking against the floor.

As soon as he made it out of the school and into his car, he collapsed into tears. His shoulders shook as his sobs swallowed him whole.

_He hadn't gotten in to NYADA... He wouldn't be going to New York._

* * *

His phone buzzed on the nightstand for what seemed like the twentieth time that night. Their unofficial graduation party was currently underway, and of course he wanted to go and wish Rachel good luck and goodbye… But he just didn't have the strength to do it. His heart had been shattered into tiny, jagged bits earlier and it showed no signs of mending soon. The distraught boy reached over and took his phone into his hands.

_15 missed calls. _They were all from Blaine.

Kurt leaned back into his pillows, squeezing his red, puffy eyes shut. He couldn't tell him; he couldn't tell Blaine. It had been hard enough to convey the news to his father. Kurt knew it would break Blaine's heart to see him like this, which is precisely why when his phone buzzed with a new text message, he refrained from replying.

_Kurtie? Are you alright? Where are you? The party isn't any fun without you here. Text me when you get this, okay? I love you._

"I love you, too," Kurt whispered, running the pad of his thumb over his boyfriend's words. His voice was raspy and considerably lower than usual due to his prolonged time of sobbing. He shut his eyes once more, feeling the stinging sensation of coming tears start up again. One escaped and rolled down his face, dripping off of the tip of his nose. It fell onto the white sheet, creating a dark spot against the light fabric. Drowning in his sorrows, Kurt soon succumbed to the pull of sleep. Tonight, unlike others, it was dreamless; for all his dreams had been crushed by a tri-fold letter that denied him access to what he'd tried to do ever since he could speak. His hopes and dreams were candles, and that letter had snuffed them out with just one breath.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading chapter one. I was thrilled to see the number of hits when I logged in this morning. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm so glad it got such a positive response. My email was practically bursting with favorite alerts. My lord, you guys are awesome.**

**** Throughout the whole fic, I will be open to any suggestions for activities for our two loverboys to partake in. I do not write anything dirty, so don't ask for sex. We all know it will happen, but I'm not going to write about it. ;)**

**Now, I know there's a gaping difference between the length of this chapter and last chapter. I'm aiming to have each chapter contain a day's worth of 'adventure', therefore proving to have more capacity than the shorter first one. This chapter starts in the middle of the night on the SAME night as last chapter. I just wanted to clear that up in case anyone got confused. **

**Now, I'm not going to make you wait any longer than you must. Here's chapter two, and as always, please review! Enjoy!**

**~ RandomKiwi**

Kurt was torn from his sleep by his phone vibrating just beside his hand. He must have fallen asleep while he was holding it.

_1 new text message._

He sighed, not bothering to read it. He typed in Blaine's number and hit send, listening to the dial tone.

"Hello?" a low, groggy voice answered.

"Blaine?" his voice was small and unsure, like that of a child.

"Hey, Kurtie." Blaine couldn't help but smile to himself. Hearing Kurt's voice was a relief, such a big relief.

The two boys remained on the line, a silence resting gently in the way of conversation. The sound of Blaine's breathing comforted Kurt, possibly making what he was about to say easier. _Possibly. _A few moments passed before he began to speak.

"Blaine, I didn't… I… NYADA didn't…" his voice trailed off.

"I know. Rachel told me at the party. I'm so sorry, Kurt…" Blaine's voice was gentle, soothing, and calm. "I know just how badly you wanted this. Your audition was absolutely stupefying. They're making a mistake; such a big, big mistake."

Kurt's eyes were tired out and dry. They had run out of tears to cry hours before. "But… What if I really wasn't… good enough?"

Blaine raised his eyebrows at this. "Good enough? _Good enough? _Kurt," he paused after saying his boyfriend's name a bit for emphasis, "you're amazing. Anyone with common sense can see that. You're beautiful, sincere, talented, and _sexy__._ Your voice… It's like no other. Every time you sing, every time you speak, I get chills. _Chills._ Your vocals are paradisiacal and you feel _everything_ you perform. Those people at NYADA are dumbasses if they can't see what they're missing… Because they're missing _everything, Kurt._ They're passing up the most angelic, graceful, _beautiful_ boy they'll ever come across."

The older boy's heart picked up speed, his stomach fluttering a bit. "Do you really mean that?"

"I do, Kurt. You're magnificent. You're-" Blaine was cut off by his boyfriend.

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Kurt. We'll make something of this, I promise you." The dark haired boy yawned and shut his eyes. "I'm about to fall asleep… I think I should go so I don't doze off to the angelic sound of your voice."

Kurt let a small smile crawl across his lips as his face gained just a bit of coloration. "Me too. I'll see you tomorrow, Blaine."

Blaine chuckled. "You'd better. G'night, Kurtie."

"Sweet dreams," Kurt replied. And with that, the phone call ended, leaving him speechless. He placed his phone back on the nightstand and burrowed into his sheets, a stupid grin spreading across his face. Blaine was right; he always was. He shut his eyes and drifted off into sleep.

* * *

Kurt awoke to the lingering smell of chocolate chip pancakes coming from downstairs. He glanced over at his alarm clock, seeing the time. He'd severely overslept; his usual rousing time was at least three hours earlier. But it was summer, so Kurt decided to let it slide.

He yawned and stretched before throwing his sheets aside. He made the bed, smoothing the sheets until he was sure not a single crease remained. Then he padded into the bathroom to shower and go through his meticulous moisturizing routine. After this, he took out his hairspray and went to work at his hair. It was a tedious process, trying to sculpt it into its usual 'do. The boy bit his lip, using a light touch to put a stray strand back into place. After fixing it into something presentable, he gathered his outfit for the day. He settled on red jeans he'd just bought, his favorite red and white scarf, and a simple white v-neck tee shirt. He still wasn't in the best mood and the frustrating endeavor of finding an outfit good enough would not help to improve that. He also slipped on some simple white hightops. He had to admit, this wasn't his best outfit yet. After donning his painfully plain clothing, Kurt checked his phone for texts.

_Look out your window. _

Kurt furrowed his brow at the message but made his way over to his bedroom window. He pulled back the curtains and pushed it open, leaning out a bit to peer at the ground below. There stood Blaine, grinning up at him. The way the morning sun glowed around him made him look like an angel. His heart fluttered at the thought and it took much effort to recompose himself.

"Hi there," his dark haired boyfriend called, waving. He had his hair gelled back, something that Kurt had encouraged him _not_ to do. He looked so cute with his little curls on his head opposed to the complete hair helmet he had on right now. He loved running his hands through his soft, _natural_ hair. The gel just made that task a lot harder than it had to be.

_Someday I'm taking away his hair gel,_ Kurt thought, smiling a bit. "Hiya. I'll be down in a sec." The boy turned and ventured down the steps.

"Carole, I'm going out with Blaine, okay?" he asked his stepmother, who was in the kitchen.

"I made some pancakes, but your brother ate them all before I could stop him." At this, there was a mumbled protest from the television room.

"You can't say that, mom! You had some, too!"

Carole rolled her eyes at this, smiling knowingly. "Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?" she asked, waving at the stove. "I could make you something for the road if you'd like."

Kurt shook his head. "I think I'm good. It's nearly ten o'clock anyway."

His stepmother smiled. "Alright then. You two have fun."

"Thanks, Carole!" he called, shutting the front door behind him. Kurt met Blaine halfway, both boys meeting in the middle of the front yard. Blaine reached out and caressed his boyfriend's face, his golden eyes full of concern.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice low and gentle.

Kurt shrugged in response. "I'll be okay." Blaine reached down for Kurt's hand, lacing their fingers together.

"I'm glad to hear it," he whispered, pressing his forehead against the other's. He pecked Kurt's cheek lightly, then pulled back a fraction of an inch. "Come on," he grinned. "We have plans."

Kurt raised his eyebrows. "We do? Since when?"

Blaine grinned. "Since now." He closed the distance between their lips, joining them with a slow, passionate kiss.

Blaine gazed into Kurt's amazing glasz eyes. The way the sunlight reflected off of them made them twinkle and shine like the stars.

After a few moments, the two boys strolled over to Blaine's car hand in hand.

"Where are we headed to?" Kurt asked, glancing up at Blaine as they pulled out onto the road.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," Blaine replied teasingly, smirking.

Kurt pouted. "But _Blaine_," he drew his partner's name out like a whining three year old.

"You're going to love it. I promise," the dark haired boy replied, resting his free hand on Kurt's knee as he drove.

* * *

An hour or two later, the car pulled to a stop in a gravel parking lot. Blaine pulled the key out of the ignition and slipped it into his pocket. Exiting the car, he opened the hatch and pulled out a whicker picnic basket. Kurt exited the car as well, smiling.

"A picnic?"

Blaine nodded. "Yeah. Why not? It's the perfect way to start off our summer together."

_Our summer together._ Those three words caused Kurt to giggle a bit. _Our summer. Together._

Blaine held out his arm and Kurt wrapped his through it. They walked down the path, arm in arm. Soon they reached the end, greeted a bright lake that glimmered majestically in the afternoon light. Blaine placed the basket down on the soft, green grass overlooking the body of water.

Kurt gasped eyes widening. "This place is _beautiful_, Blaine…"

Blaine wrapped his newly free arm around his boyfriend, planting a light kiss on the tip of his nose. "I knew you'd like it." He beamed, his warm eyes shining.

Kurt grinned, gesticulating wildly as he took in the scene. "The water, the grass, the trees… The way the sun's shining…" He paused, turning his gaze back to the shorter boy before him. "And you, Blaine." As he said it, the older boy's eyes were full of love and admiration.

Blaine blushed slightly, staring up at his boyfriend. They held this position for a while, just the two of them staring into each other's eyes. The moment was interrupted when a loud rumble sounded from Kurt's stomach.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" he laughed lightly, one hand moving to clutch his abdomen. "I guess I'm hungry."

Blaine chuckled. "As you should be; you did skip breakfast. Come on, let's eat." He pulled his love to the ground beside him and opened the top of the basket. The dark haired boy worked at getting the food and drinks out, resting them on the ground.

Kurt eyed the selections. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, potato chips, lemonade, and a bucket of store-bought cookies. He couldn't but laugh.

Blaine glanced up at him after closing the basket. "What? It was an impromptu idea and you know very well that I can't cook for _my life._" He laughed along with Kurt, "But I guess you do hold the right to laugh, being the culinary genius you are and all."

This only caused the brunette to laugh harder. The sound was a melody of its own, bringing a light sense of joy to the scene. "It's _cute_, Blaine. It's so cute!"

Blaine cocked an eyebrow at his boyfriend, smirking. "And tell me, Kurt, in what world would this sad display of culinary ability _ever_ be cute?"

Kurt's giggles had died down. Blaine observed the slight rosy color that remained on his porcelain face after such laughter. "Look at this… You even cut the crusts off of the bread and wrote our names on the baggies!" Still beaming, he poked Blaine's nose lovingly. "You put a lot of time into it just for me. That's what I find so cute about it, Blaine."

"Well, in that case…" He picked up his boyfriend's sandwich and presented it to him. "For you."

Kurt took the plastic bag into his hands, reading the swirly writing on it.

~_Kurt~ _

The elegant lettering was outlined by one big heart. "I'm saving this baggy forever," he mused before taking out his PB&J sandwich. Blaine retrieved his own and unwrapped it. Kurt took a small bite out of the sandwich, closing his eyes. A small groan sounded from his throat as he swallowed.

"Mmm, très délicieux, monsieur," he purred.

Blaine smiled and took a bite of his own. After swallowing he peered over at Kurt. "You see, if I spoke French, I would be able to respond to that."

Kurt chuckled a bit. "I'll have to teach you sometime."

Blaine smirked. "In low light and with no parental supervision?" He waggled his eyebrows, causing Kurt to nearly choke on his food.

Kurt swallowed, coughing a bit. "Erm… Sure. That could… That could be arranged."

Blaine let out a laugh, squeezing his love's hand. "No need to be flustered, Kurtie. I was only joking." _Well… Half joking…_

"Oh, really? I was kind of hoping that you weren't." Before it could register the words were out.

This caused Blaine's cheeks to redden. Seeing his boyfriend's response, Kurt's mouth gaped open.

"Oh, crap, I said that out loud, didn't I?"

Blaine nodded, smiling.

Kurt's face turned beet red and he forced his gaze away from Blaine's. "Sorry."

"Hey," Blaine said, reaching over to take Kurt's face into his hands. He turned it so he could see into his eyes. "I never said I didn't like what you said." Blaine pressed his lips to Kurt's, smiling when Kurt kissed back. The two broke away and immersed themselves in silly, pointless conversation ranging from the latest edition of Vogue magazine to the current top 100 hits. As Blaine was gushing over Katy Perry, Kurt noticed that his throat was rather dry.

"Hey, Blaine? Sorry to interrupt… But I'm kind of thirsty."

Blaine looked up. "Oh, yeah, sure. Let me get the cups…" The raven haired boy's eyes scanned the patch of ground where all of the food and utensils lay. When he did not spot them there, he opened the basket. It was completely empty. "Shit."

"What?"

"I forgot to bring cups." He ran a hand through his gelled hair, stressing a bit.

Kurt shrugged, weighing the pitcher of lemonade with his eyes. "Who said we were required to use them?"

Blaine arched an eyebrow as Kurt reached for the pitcher. He lifted the nozzle to his mouth and tipped it back, pouring some of the pink beverage. He then swallowed and set it down.

The other chuckled lightly, leaning towards Kurt. "Here, you've got a drop right there…" He pressed his lips against Kurt's, running his tongue along them. A very faint lemony taste lingered in his mouth after he pulled away.

Kurt blinked, blushing. "Is it gone?"

"Nope." The smaller of the two leaned forward and initiated a long, loving kiss.

Kurt shut his eyes and poured himself into the kiss, knotting his hands in Blaine's hair. Blaine's _gelly_ hair. Gosh, he was going to have to do something about that. They continued to lock lips until their lungs were practically bursting from the lack of air. They just barely separated, both panting lightly as they tried to regain their breath.

The rest of the afternoon consisted of feverish chatting and numerous laughs, as well as much cookie munching and drinking from a rather large pitcher of lemonade. As the sun was setting, the two boys lay on the ground. Kurt rested his head on Blaine's chest. The boys' legs and and bare feet were intertwined and Blaine's arms were wrapped around Kurt. Kurt's arms gently enveloped Blaine's waist as the two gazed up at the magnificent streaks of orange, red, and pink that stretched across the sky. Their shoes lay neatly a few feet away.

"You know how in the car, on the way here, you promised me that I'd love this place?"

"Mmhmm," Blaine responded, gazing at Kurt through long, dark lashes.

"Well, I do. A lot. Just not as much as I love you."

At this moment, Blaine leaned down to kiss the top of Kurt's head gently. "I love you too, Kurtie."

Both felt as though they could lie here forever, for all of time, and be absolutely, one hundred percent content.

The sun dipped below the horizon and the first stars of the night began to come into view. "See that star?" Kurt murmured.

"Where?" Blaine asked, gazing up at the sky above them.

Kurt pointed to the brightest one which seemed to be shining directly above them, billions of miles away. "That one. The really gorgeous one…"

"Oh, yeah. I see it," Blaine replied, running a thumb gently over the back of Kurt's hand.

"That one's ours," he whispered, gazing up at it. Blaine could read the intense sense of hope within Kurt's voice. It completely touched him that his boyfriend still found faith after not being accepted into NYADA. Blaine was one of those people who believed that everything happened for a specific reason. He felt as though Kurt not getting into NYADA opened up a whole new future for him; for the both of them. He should be absolutely overjoyed that he was granted another year with Kurt within the general area, but he wasn't. It pained him to see him so, so broken the day before.

"It's beautiful," Blaine whispered, "Absolutely beautiful."

After a few more minutes of cuddling, they broke apart to start packing up. Once everything was in the basket, Blaine stood up and offered Kurt a hand. He lifted the other to his feet before the two strolled back to the parking lot, hand in hand.

This summer would be amazing; Kurt was sure of it.

* * *

Lying in bed later that night, Kurt received a text message from Blaine.

_Already miss you. XX –B_

Kurt smiled and typed a reply.

_Thank you for today. Thank you for everything. I love you so much. _

With that, he shut his phone off and nestled himself into the sheets. He shut his eyes, grinning. Today was perfect, more than perfect… He was so happy that he'd barely had time to think about –

The smile was quickly wiped off of his face. NYADA. It was happening again… The tears were coming and the impending sadness lingered above him, threatening to crush him with one brutal blow. NYADA. His dream. His _dead_ dream.

_No, stop it, Kurt. Stop it. NYADA doesn't matter anymore. Blaine matters. Summer matters._

Blaine. God, he loved that boy.


End file.
